How to Change Power Saving Mode of Wireless Adapters in Windows 11

You change the power saving mode of your wireless adapter in Windows 11 by adjusting its Power Management settings within the Device Manager.

Your wireless adapter is the hardware that enables your PC to connect to Wi-Fi networks. Adjusting its power saving mode directly impacts your Wi-Fi speed and battery life.

By default, Windows 11 may set your adapter to “Medium Power Saving” when on battery and “Maximum Performance” when plugged in, aiming for a balance between connectivity and power consumption.

Selecting “Maximum Power Saving” will slow your Wi-Fi connection to conserve battery, while “Maximum Performance” prioritizes speed at the cost of battery drain.

Option One: Using Control Panel

1. Open the Control Panel. Look for the Power Options icon and click it.

2. Find your active power plan (such as “Balanced”). Click the link that says Change plan settings.

3. Click the link that says Change advanced power settings.

4. Scroll down to find Wireless Adapter Settings. Click the plus sign to expand it. Then expand Power Saving Mode.Note: If you don’t see Wireless Adapter Settings, you may need to add it first. %📂%SC0%copy%

5. You will see two dropdown menus: On battery and Plugged in. Choose which power saving mode you want for each. Your choices are Maximum Performance, Low Power Saving, Medium Power Saving, or Maximum Power Saving. Click OK when done.

   
   

   Note: Desktop computers only show the “Plugged in” option unless they have a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) connected.

1. You can close Control Panel now.

Option Two: Using Command Prompt

⚠️ This option requires administrator privileges.

1. Right-click on Windows Terminal and select Run as administrator. Then choose Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell.

2. Copy and paste one of the commands below. Press Enter to run it.

   
   

   For On Battery Mode:

   
   

   Maximum Performance:

   
   

   powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 0

   
   

   Low Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 1

   
   

   Medium Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 2

   
   

   Maximum Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 3

   
   

   For Plugged In Mode (Desktop Computers):

   
   

   Maximum Performance:

   
   

   powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 0

   
   

   Low Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 1

   
   

   Medium Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 2

   
   

   Maximum Power Saving:

   
   

   powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT 19cbb8fa-5279-450e-9fac-8a3d5fedd0c1 12bbebe6-58d6-4636-95bb-3217ef867c1a 3

Summary

You now know how to change your wireless adapter’s power saving mode in Windows 11. You can do this two ways: through Control Panel (the easy way) or through Command Prompt (the advanced way). Choose the power saving mode that works best for you. If you want faster WiFi, pick “Maximum Performance.” If you want longer battery life, pick “Maximum Power Saving.” The middle options give you a balance of both.